Personal Defense World

A 74-year-old Uber driver with a concealed carry permit opened fire on a violent passenger in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

According to the Tampa Tribune, the incident took place in the 400 block of Mandalay Avenue. That’s where Steven Rayow stopped to pick up 60-year-old Marc Gregory Mermel at around 10 p.m. on Sunday night.

A verbal altercation ensued between Rayow and Mermel. At some point it turned physical and Mermel began choking Rayow, who managed to pull a handgun from his waistband.

The two continued to struggle and the gun went off, shooting Mermel in the foot, Clearwater Police confirmed in a news release. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital to be treated for the gunshot wound.

While it appears Rayow was acting in self-defense during the incident, he will likely lose his job with Uber, as the San Franciso-based company recently announced a no-guns policy in its vehicles for drivers and passengers alike. The rule appears to be backfiring, as this latest incident occurred just three days after a driver was robbed at gunpoint by a 22-year-old passenger in Queens, New York.